With the cold weather in January and March apparently having little impact on the economy's performance, output expanded by 0.3% on the quarter.

That was unspectacular by historic standards but enough to avert the government's worst nightmare – an unprecedented triple-dip recession.

For the chancellor, a third leg to the downturn that started in the winter of 2008-09 would have been a disaster. Osborne is coming under pressure – from the IMF as well as his Labour opponents – to soften his austerity stance, and figures on Thursday showing that the economy had contracted in early 2013 would have intensified those calls.

The actual figure was reasonably solid. The service sector – which accounts for 75% of the economy – grew by 0.6% on the quarter, while a bounce back in North Sea oil output helped industrial production grow by 0.2%. Had it not been for the 2.5% quarterly drop in the still depressed construction sector, growth would have been around 0.5% in the first quarter, quite close to its long-term trend.

It is not all good news. Despite the growth in early 2013, the economy is still 2.6% below its peak in early 2008 when the recession began. And, as the Office for National Statistics noted, the economy is no bigger now than it was 18 months ago – a point Ed Balls will no doubt be making over the coming weeks and months.

But make no mistake, this number is helpful to Osborne, who was quick to say that there were encouraging signs that the economy is healing. Had Thursday's number been negative – even by just 0.1% – that claim would have been impossible to make.